Picking a cell phone plan can be tough, though not impossible. We have a market where there are multiple cell phone carriers, various data plans, and myriad charges and call rates. How do you choose a cell phone plan that suits your needs? Well, good news – here are some of the tips helping you on how to choose a cell phone plan.

Before you scurry off towards getting that Verizon subscription, check which smartphone you are using. Are you actually using a smartphone or just a basic phone for calling and texting? Your lifestyle plays an important part in choosing the right plan.

There is actually a lot more to this than just the technical aspect of things. Here are four considerations you need to keep in mind in order to choose the right cell phone plan for you.

Data Consumption:  The average user in the US consumes up to 733 MB of data per month just on their phones. Installing data consumption tracking tools on your PC or smartphone can help you track your monthly data usage.

Budget:  Budget plays an important role here. Stick to your budget since you don’t want to fall into credit card debt. Go for pre-paid plans since they are safer for students. If you run out of data, you can simply add more. This can help monitor your total data usage over the month and avoid overspending. The con of postpaid plans is that you get billed whenever you cross the FUP limits or the cap on data usage. This can lead to higher bills and more debt. If you’re a student, it can spell disaster if you don’t take caution.

Features:  Every cell phone service provider offers various plans and features. AT&T offers the user the option to pay per text unlike other carriers like Verizon and this can be handy if you don’t text often and very rarely. Some carriers are great for unlimited deals whilst others are geared for the frugal users. Not only that, but carriers have their coverage limits and ranges.

Do some research on the various cell phone carriers and base your decision wisely on what they offer and decide if it’s worth the price. You should also consider how much security and privacy the carrier provides. You don’t want your privacy to be breached or files to be accessed unauthorized. Every carrier has different policies regarding storing and sharing personal information. Be sure to read the terms and conditions and decide accordingly.